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Well here goes nothing ... finally I am reading a book about the kind of birthing experience I want and can relate to (through written word).
Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke is definitely a book all moms-to-be should read. Hell, at least skim the book. No matter if you choose the natural route or venture into the epidural/medical realm, there is a lot in here to absorb and apply to your personal experience.

I am only about 100 pages into the book and love it! I read it when I sit by the pool - sitting outdoors in the sun with my feet in the cool water is nearly as calming as reading the book itself.
She does a wonderful job dissecting the birthing process and some of the (mental) hangups most women have about the process. I am so glad to finally read a book that is dedicated to the mind because so much of how we react to things is all because of our minds.

Check it out. I promise you, you won't be disappointed. And to all the fathers-to-be out there ... you rea…

After more than a month of fighting with the VA for chiropractic care I was finally able to see the chiropractor. I wish people weren't so naive about the benefits of chiropractic care - especially regarding pregnancy. My back hurts (of course it does) - I'm busy growing a human and my back aches as my little baby grows.

So, as I sat with the chiropractor guess who else shared his space at the VA? The acupuncturist. How fantastic is that? Okay, I thought it was fantastic but as it turns out ... it was just another let down courtesy of the VA. (I'm sure this statement isn't the least bit shocking for fellow Veterans.) Once the acupuncturist heard me say I was pregnant he said he wouldn't see me because it's "dangerous to do during pregnancy."

Honestly, do they intentionally hire the most misinformed people among our population? I'm losing the little confidence I did have in the VA because the employees along with the medical staff are so impossibly…

Holiday Portraits by Girona ConsultingNow is the perfect time to schedule your holiday portraits - perfect for individuals, children, couples & families ... or one for your pet!

Whether you’d like to have pictures taken for a holiday card or give a gift certificate for a photo session to a new parent or grandparent, we can arrange the perfect photo package for you.www.GironaConsultingINC.us
(GC is a Veteran & Woman owned small business based in West Palm Beach, Florida)

I've been writing a lot about pregnancy in America in this blog lately. You might wonder why.
Here's my most concise answer ...

I'm blogging to spread awareness. Clearly there is a lack of information in american society so exposure to the natural route is my primary concern for other women out there. For an OBGYN (not like she is even the first nor will she be the last) to make faces and gasp at the horrific idea of "painful" childbirth, I realize that our society is learning by fear-based methods instead of understanding and respecting the woman's body and her natural capabilities. I wish the paradigm flip flopped ... so that people gasped at elective c-sections instead of natural birth.

I talked to one of the many OBGYNs at the practice where I go in South Florida about my desire for natural birth. Better yet, it's more than a desire - it's a dedicated goal for the overall well being of me & my bambina.

The doctor make a horrified/grossed out expression and told me how much natural birth hurts. Honestly, can someone explain to me why having my child surgically removed from my stomach is somehow less painful than the natural birth my body was designed to have?

I don't believe American women are suddenly incapable of having natural birth. I personally think that fear does the talking. For example, I have heard almost completely negative reaction to wanting a natural birth except from other women who have had a successful natural birth.

Most comments are ...

Why would you do that to yourself?
I'd take a C-section any day!
Ugh. I don't know why you'd do that. It's so much easier with drugs.
I made it to (X amount dilated) before I couldn…

Have you heard of Paiche? It's one of the largest fresh water fish in the world and grows to 10 feet, weighing more than 400 lbs. (That's 3 meters & 180kg to my non-American readers). This is seriously a hellova fish!

It's known as Arapaima Gigas, Paiche or Pirarucu.
When I was in Peru last year with my love, his father (who lives in Lima) took us out to the Amazon for a nice mini vacation where my love for Paiche began. Down the street from our restaurant where we munched on Paiche was the Ucayali River - yes, that is where these monstrous fish reside.
This fish taste divine - it was nice and fatty (like a Chilean sea bass) but wasn't nearly as heavy. You could say I was hooked immediately. Fast forward to present day in South Florida ...
I was doing a photo shoot at a charming restaurant called La Brochette Bistro in Cooper City (Broward County). In addition to the interior and exterior photos, I also photographed about 5 plates of food. One of them, believe it …

Today I photographed a local restaurant in Palm Beach. Let me begin by telling you how much I love food (minus the first trimester of pregnancy, of course, which was when all food was evil). I was born with a voracious appetite and not for big chain restaurants but rather a variety of flavors and textures that brings with it a level of excitement that generic food simply doesn't offer.

Are you willing to pay an extra few dollars for a quality meal? I sure am. While I don't splurge all the time I have been known to spend an extra few dollars on a meal that I will talk about for months or even years.

Anyway, so here I am trucking along in my second trimester and photographing a french bistro that is owned & operated by the most charming family who hails from Normandy, France. (I wonder if they saw me salivating as I snapped away.)

The assignment was to photograph interior & exterior shots of the restaurant along with a few key dishes. The chef (and father of the fam) kno…

Being pregnant has brought on some of the most interesting remarks I've ever heard from people along with some of the most peculiar "care" I've ever received from the medical industry.

I am a healthy, low-risk pregnant woman but you wouldn't know that if you were a fly on the wall during my visits with the OBGYN. Today I went for another ultrasound. Last time they couldn't see all the chambers of her heart so they wanted me to come back to get a better look. Okay, no big deal. Let's check out those little, wonderful chambers.

As I check in at the desk I ask if there is anyway to meet with a doc so I can get a referral for chiropractic care. Why? Because I'm pregnant and doesn't it make sense that my back hurts as my stomach grows and my sleeping positions continue changing?

According to the American Pregnancy Association, they stand by the following:

What are the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy?
Chiropractic care during pregnancy can …